


O My Heart

by 15dogs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Pregnancy, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Based on Mother Mother, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Dad Fred Weasley, Disowned, F/M, Fred Weasley Lives, Goodbye Sex, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Pregnancy, Series, Smut, Song fic, Top Fred Weasley, Unplanned Pregnancy, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28372497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/15dogs/pseuds/15dogs
Summary: Your ex boyfriend, Fred Weasley, left you without even telling you he was leaving in the first place. Caught up in the commotion of him leaving you, you forgot to take a morning after potion. You couldn't tell Fred about your son, but the universe doesn't seem to let you forget him.This is based on the album "O My Heart" by Mother Mother!
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Reader, Fred Weasley/You
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	1. o my heart

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from tumblr (@15-dogs)
> 
> tw// smut, unprotected sex, accidental pregnancy, mentions of the blood quill, vomit

You knew things were dire when the Room of Requirement appeared. 

You had been secretly in contact with your boyfriend, Fred, for quite some time now. If Umbridge were to find out that you two were much closer than 6 inches of each other, she’d have his head and then yours, so it was in both of your best interest that you had decided to continue your relationship in secret. 

Yet, these days, Fred seemed more desperate to be around you; he’d always find a way to touch you when no one was looking, he’d stay behind after DA meetings with you to help “clean up”, or he’d simply stare at you all during class. He was like a prepubescent teen dating his first girlfriend. You supposed that his change in behavior was due in part to the fact that someone told him not to do something, so he was going to do the exact opposite. That was Fred Weasley for you.

You leaned over towards Fred, not taking your eyes off the towering door. “Do we open it?” you whispered.

Fred scoffed and nodded. “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”

You chewed your lip in contemplation, finally looking up at your boyfriend. “You’re right. It appeared for a reason.”

With that being said, you pushed the door open to reveal a cozy bedroom— not just  _ a _ cozy bedroom, Fred’s cozy bedroom. His maroon quilt covered the bed, a few pillows thrown messily atop it. You gasped and Fred let out a hearty chuckle, following you in and closing the door behind him. Once you were fully out of sight from the hallway, Fred’s strong arms snaked around your waist as he leaned down to nip your ear.

“This is the universe telling us that we need to shag, love,” he muttered gruffly against your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

As his chapped lips made their way from your ear to your neck, your rational thought flew out the window. Normally you would protest at such a thing at a time like that but you didn’t, it wasn’t worth it seeing as how you wanted him just as bad as he wanted you.

Your head lulled back onto his chest with a soft groan as he dragged his sharp canines over the soft skin of your neck, running his tongue over the spot moments later. His hands discovered your body like his own personal playground as he spun you around to face him, pulling you into a bruising kiss. 

Fred was acting like he never had before, so much more impassioned and full of desperation. A nagging, gut feeling told you to be concerned about such a thing but you really couldn’t worry about it, not when he was unbuttoning your shirt and undoing your bra so he could massage your breasts.

Fred backed you up towards the bed, nudging you on it before tearing his own shirt off. You freed yourself of your shoes and skirt, splaying yourself on the bed for him.

“Merlin, you’re so fucking sexy,” he groaned as he pounced on you.

Fred ran his tongue over your nipple, smirking against it when he felt your back arch upwards. His hand trailed down your stomach, teasing at the waistband of your panties before slipping his hand in. He traced a painfully slow, circuitous route around your folds, your hips bucking up to meet him. Your eyes connected with his and he stared you down like it was the last time he’d ever see you, memorizing every inch of your body.

Something about his slow pacing should’ve been a red flag for you— he liked to overstimulate, not draw things out— but it didn’t even cross your mind. You would always lose sleep over that. How could you miss such a thing?

Fred yanked your panties off, running his fingers through your folds for a moment before slipping them into you. You moaned, arching your hips upwards. Fred slid down the bed so he stared down your sex before lapping up your arousal.

“Oh,  _ fuck!  _ Fred, fuck!”

Your hands tangled in his ginger hair, pure bliss blossoming in your chest. Fred’s amber eyes met yours, watching you as you slowly began to come undone. You could feel your orgasm slowly creeping up on you and Fred could tell as well as your walls fluttered around his digits. He pulled away, evoking a small whine from you. Fred stood up and pulled off the rest of his clothes, pumping his long, thick cock as his eyes roved over you, sorrow clouding over the true meaning of the stare.

“Freddie?” you whispered. 

His eyes snapped up to yours, slightly vacant. “Yes, love?”

“Are you going to fuck me or what?”

A small grin twitched at the edges of his lips at your teasing. He pinned you onto the bed with one hand, holding yours above your head. He spread your legs open before lining himself up with your entrance. As he pushed into you, he didn’t look in your eyes. You should’ve known something was wrong then, too; Fred loved to see your face as you tried to accommodate his size.

Fred pistoned on, going fast and hard like he normally did. However, he typically lasted longer than what just occurred. It took no more than 10 minutes for both of you to cum, Fred collapsing on your chest in exhaustion. He pulled out a moment later, rolling on his back and crossing his hands over his chest.

You didn’t say anything to him— you didn’t want to shame him if there was something going on— but you couldn’t help but wonder what had him so distracted the whole time. It was like he wanted to get it over with, like he wanted to get one out of his system. You shuddered at the thought and turned onto your side to talk to him, but he was already asleep.

You loved the way Fred looked when he slept: his eyes were shut gently and all the stress from the day was flooding out of his body. His freckled chest would rise and fall in even breaths, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside his troubled mind.

Meanwhile, Fred was thinking. He wasn’t asleep, he couldn’t sleep at a time like that. He just couldn’t face you. He couldn’t face your questions and disappointment. He realized that Lee’s idea of being a bad lay was terrible and that it wouldn’t get him to stop thinking of you. He wanted you to remember him when he left with love, not hate. He didn’t want to take your heart but he knew he didn’t have a chance to change things, not so late in the game.

You rolled onto your back, staring up at the canopy that hung over the bed, wondering if you had done something wrong. Maybe it was the exams that were the next day, that could’ve been it. Although, Fred was never quite worried about exams. You continued to second guess and second guess until you drove yourself mad. But there was one thing you didn’t have to guess, one thing you knew for certain: you were in love with Fred Weasley.

**●●**

The next day you awoke in that bed all by yourself. There was a potion for hygiene and clean clothes left on the table. You smiled to yourself; Fred could be so thoughtful. You quickly got yourself together and checked your watch, feeling dread sinking into your stomach: exams were in 5 minutes.

You ran as fast as anyone possibly could to the hall where the N.E.W.T.s were taking place. Seeing the door shut, you busted it open, heads popping up to stare at you. You had a sinking feeling wash over you as Umbridge’s eyes landed on you.

“Miss (Y/L/N),” she said curtly, “would you like to share why you were late to such an important exam?”

Her eyes, full of malice, stared you down like she knew where you were, like she knew what you did. You scanned the room for Fred, hoping that his soft amber eyes would relax you but he was nowhere to be seen. You furrowed your brows, looking over the room again to spot either of the twins but no, neither were there. That sinking feeling became worse in your stomach, so much to the point where you thought you’d be ill.

You clasped your hands together as you replied, “I slept in. My apologies, ma’am.”

“Detention after the exams.” 

Umbridge put on a wide smile at your public humiliation, letting you saunter shamefully to your seat. You bit back tears at the situation, realizing that crying would only make things worse. But as you stared down the exam that was placed before you, you couldn’t focus, you were too distracted by your own shame and by the fact that your boyfriend had just disappeared.

Your mind began to wander as you wondered what Fred would’ve done if he were there. He probably would’ve stood up for you, told Umbridge she was a toad and thrown some elaborate prank that would always leave you wondering how he did it. That’s why you loved him: he was never afraid to stand up for the people he loved.

Finally, when you felt like you could focus, you heard a loud bang behind you. Your head whipped around, seeing Fred and George flying into the hall, fireworks exploding behind them. You began to laugh at their little prank, realizing that that was what Fred was planning.

They pulled every trick in the book, a flourish of chaos and excitement that had you surprised they hadn’t mentioned this prank to you prior.

And then you found out why.

_ “Give her hell from us, Peeves!” _

You thought you might faint. George left. Fred left. You were all alone. He left you. As they flew away, you swore that for just a second, Fred’s eyes locked onto yours. You begged him not to go with just one look, hoping that he felt that gut wrenching sadness that consumed you. But he didn’t, he would never see it, he just flew away.

The room began to spin. So that was goodbye sex, was it? That’s what was on his mind? You stumbled out of the room, dizzy and anxious, unlike everyone else who were bursting at the seams with excitement.

Everything was too loud, you had to get out of there. You ran and ran until the noise dissipated, fearing everything that was about to come your way. Everyone knew you and Fred were dating, it was only a matter of time before people began to talk, create rumors, use you as a scapegoat for what they did.

You just needed everyone to be quiet. For once in their sorry lives, be quiet.

**●●**

Umbridge was mad. No, that’s the understatement of the century. She was infuriated, raging, filled to the brim with hatred. Every time Umbridge would look at you, her eyes would slice through you like a guillotine. 

Yet, nothing could compare to how broken you felt. Your heart felt like a fish out of water, drying and dying in the sunlight as every word exchanged about you sucked more life out of it. You wanted to be fixed, to feel steady again but you couldn’t, like a foundation that just wouldn’t set.

Your detention was served over two weeks. It didn’t help that you were sick, too. You were getting sick in the mornings and tired earlier in the day. All those factors combined made you quite snappy towards other students, glaring at them if they stared at you for even a second too long. You would barely make it through the detentions without nearly threatening Umbridge if it weren’t for that godforsaken blood quill that she made you use.

_ I will be held accountable. _

The words both seared into your hand and into your mind.

After one detention, you slipped into the hospital wing, hoping to get some potions for your nausea. You stepped in, knocking on the door and Madam Pomfrey ran out from a side room.

“Yes, dear?” She was acting strange, like she was supposed to act cold towards you when she really didn’t feel that way. Her eyes held concern behind them but her lips were pressed into a firm line.

“I’ve been feeling really quite ill,” you admitted, walking over towards a cot. “I’ve been tired more often and vomiting in the mornings as well.”

Pomfrey shifted awkwardly before snatching a chart from a table and joining you by the bed. She cleared her throat as she scanned the questions, fixing her sights on one in particular. “Have you been sexually active recently?”

And then it set in. 

You ran up to your room and collapsed on your bed, too shocked to feel. You couldn’t cry or scream no matter how badly you wanted to, all you could do was run over in your mind how in Merlin’s name he could have done that.

And as you circled possibility after possibility, you came up empty. You tried to convince yourself that he didn’t know, that it was all a coincidence. He left you, and that was a fact. He left you to deal with the hate and the rumors. But worst of all, he left you during a war. He left you when you needed him most. 

Your heart began to harden, freeze over. It was cold and unfeeling and for once, you were glad. You were glad that you could close yourself off from such a painful thing. You shakily reached for your blanket, pulling it around your body to warm it up as your overwhelmed mind raced around a thousand thoughts like a speck of dust in a tornado.

You didn’t know what to think, but if there was one thing you knew for certain, it was that you hated Fred Weasley.


	2. burning pile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You return to Hogwarts to fight in the war for your son's future when you run into a familiar redhead who is staring death down the barrel.
> 
> tw// war, broken limbs, children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cross-posted from tumblr (@15-dogs)

“Everyone at school has one,” your son stated, “how come I don’t have a dad?”

You clenched your eyes shut. You knew this was coming at some point, but 8 years old seemed far too soon. You smiled softly at your son, Daniel, as you patted your lap. He clambered onto you and you ran your hand through his fiery red hair, wondering how you could explain something so broken to someone so young.

●●

You ran into the war alone. You were part of no affiliation, no friends by your side, you only knew who you were fighting for. 

Your son, nearly 2 years old at the time, was at your muggle neighbor’s flat. You couldn’t bring him to your muggle parents, not when they disowned you for finding out about your accidental pregnancy.

That’s why you were fighting. For him. For Danny. He needed to grow up in a world where blood status didn’t matter, where he didn’t need to be concerned about having a future or not. For Danny. You had to repeat it to yourself over and over again. For Danny. For Danny.

The war, like wars often were, was ugly. Rubble coating the grounds and bodies peeking out from under it. Being at such a broken place that was once filled with hope and joy was like seeing a photo go black and white.

You did your best to assist where you could, seeing people you went to school with falling lifeless onto the ground. They had families, they had parents that loved them. That was somebody’s child who was chasing death, and you were not about to let them get caught. You would jump in just in time to save them, feeling that was your best bet at contributing to the cause.

So you wandered the halls of the castle, seeking trouble. But, as it always does, trouble seems to find you. A Death Eater appeared from behind one of the many staircases, firing a spell at you. You barely dodged it, slipping behind a pillar, your heart pounding in your ears. You imagined what it would be like to have someone beside you but you couldn’t dwell, you were facing life and death.

You readied your wand before popping out from your hiding spot, firing a stunning spell at the man. He blocked it, but it sent him skyrocketing backwards into another hallway.

You had just found your target, there was no way you’d let him escape. You charged after where you had left him, only to find him missing. Your eyes locked onto a trail of blood that dotted from where you stood to a hallway, which just so happened to have sparks flying from it.

You rounded the corner to see two redheads battling two Death Eaters, your feet bolting to the ground.

It was Fred.

He was laughing at something Percy had said as they battled the men. He looked so...grown up. It had only been 2 years since you last saw him, but he looked different. He seemed genuinely happy. 

But it wasn’t the time to focus on such trivial things, not when the Death Eater you were battling was sneaking up on Fred. Both men were unaware of the cloaked person sneaking up on them, so you decided you needed to take action.

Fred was Molly’s son. If she lost him, she’d be devastated, broken beyond repair. You knew what it was like to have a child, and if you lost him, you didn’t know what you’d do. Danny was all you had and Merlin forbid anyone were to take him away from you.

As those thoughts coursed through your mind, adrenaline coursed through your veins. You watched as the Death Eater you were tracking snuck up on Fred and Percy, your wand readied as you waited with bated breath for the two to move out of the way. However, as the man approached, the brothers didn’t move. Your whole body was itching with anxieties, your eyes flickering towards the shadows. But as the man raised his wand, you couldn’t wait any longer; there were human lives at stake, one of which just happened to be your ex boyfriend.

“Fred, Percy! Get down!” you shouted as you revealed yourself from your hiding space. 

The Death Eater was distracted by your declaration, pausing in his mission to cast the spell. Fred, too, was distracted by your presence, leading to Percy dragging him onto the ground alongside himself. As soon as they were clear, you shot a spell at a pillar beside the man, the cracked tiles crashing down on his legs, trapping him underneath. He let out a shrill cry of pain, his face contorting into something awful that made you almost sorry for him. However, you didn’t want to take the risk that he was the devil in disguise, putting on an act just to garner sympathy from you.

“Stupefy!” you cried, freezing the man in his place.

As soon as the area was clear, you pocketed your wand and ran to the Weasley brothers. You slid onto the ground beside Percy, helping him up.

“Lovely to see you again, (Y/N),” he commented. 

You cringed but put on your best smile. “Been a long time, Percy.”

You recalled the last time you’d seen the stern boy, the one time that Fred took you home for the holidays. His family had welcomed you in open arms and made you quite jealous; your family wasn’t so affectionate.

When you got kicked out of your own house at 18, you weren’t really shocked. Your mother had never truly approved of you and Fred so she had been expecting something of that “sinful nature” for years now. 

When she had kicked you out, you couldn’t even gather most of your things as you found her burning them in the backyard in an old fire pit. You were only slightly shocked that time. Your mother had a saying: put all your troubles on a burning pile because when it’s all lit up, you’ll start to smile. That saying, of course, wasn’t true, nor did you think she took the meaning literally. When you walked outside to speak with her one last time— a regretful decision, you knew— her tears were illuminated on her cheeks from the flames that kissed her.

“You look good, seeing as how you helped Fred and I narrowly escape death, so thanks again for that.” Percy glanced down at Fred, kicking him with his foot. “Suppose you want to hear it from him, too.”

You half expected Fred to say something smart or, at the very least, notice that it was you who saved his life but he didn’t say anything. Come to think of it, he didn’t even move. 

Your heart stopped beating in your chest. You fell to your knees, hovering over Fred’s lifeless body. No,  _ no! _ You were supposed to be saving him! What did you do?

“Oh, Merlin,” whispered Percy, his pale skin turning even paler. He, too, sank to his knees, shaking Fred’s body. “Oh, shit. Fred! This isn’t funny! Wake up, please!”

As a parent, you had to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Danny was rarely out of your sight, and if he ever got hurt you knew the play by play of what happened. That little skill came in great use as you stared at Fred’s body in the patch of rubble.

“He wasn’t hit,” you assured Percy, “this is shock.” You held your middle and pointer fingers close together, pressing them under his jaw in search of his pulse. As soon as you felt the soft beating against the pads of your fingers, you let out a happy gasp.

“What is it? What are you doing?” Percy scrambled to replicate your actions, pushing your hand aside and replacing it with his.

“That’s his heartbeat. It’s faint but it’s there. We need to take him to the Great Hall so he can get patched up.”

Percy let out a relieved sigh, tears falling down his cheeks carelessly. With the sparks that were being shot from outside the castle, it illuminated his face just right so that it reminded you of your mother. In his hands was Fred— your problem— and the glaring reality became apparent that you desperately wanted to run away from it.

With the wards down at Hogwarts, you could apparate inside the castle. Unable to pick Fred up, you and Percy pushed him up against a wall, his head drooping onto his chest and back slouched. 

“I’ll meet you in the Great Hall, if that’s okay?” Percy asked. You frowned. “I want to check on George, he’s been missing for a bit.”

“Yeah, go check on your brother, I can take care of Fred.” The words left a sour taste in your mouth but you couldn’t help but feel a familiar sense of warmth blossom in your chest as his name rolled off your tongue.

You reluctantly slid up next to him and slung his arm around your shoulder before apparating away. When you arrived in the Great Hall, nobody even realized you were there. You let Fred rest against a wall while you tracked down Pomfrey, who was hurriedly mixing some salve together, an unpleasant earthy aroma drifting your way.

“Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pomfrey!” You waved your hand wildly in the air, the color draining from her face at the sight of Fred behind you.

“Oh, Godric.” The words escaped her lips like a dying man’s last breath as she ran up to you two.

You took her wrist and ducked to meet her eyes, shaking your head. “He’s not dead, he’s just unconscious.”

Pomfrey gripped at her apron as she let out a shaky sigh. She lifted her head up to the sky, hoping that Merlin himself would dry her eyes. Once she had regained composure, she chuckled slightly at the insanity of the situation.

“Unconscious,” she repeated, pointing at you, “that’s something I can fix. Help me get him to that cot right there, dear.”

You nodded and helped Pomfrey drag him to the sheet on the ground right beside you. She rifled through her apron, the many pockets holding vials of wonders. 

“I haven’t seen you in quite some time, Miss (Y/L/N),” Pomfrey noted. She paused, her eyes flickering up at you for just a moment. “Or is it missus, now?”

You flexed your hand in silent rage— you hated those questions. “No, I’m not married, but I appreciate your concern.”

Pomfrey frowned slightly, her eyes moving down towards your stomach before drifting back towards her pockets. She whispered a quiet “aha!” and pulled a long tube full of amber liquid out, uncorking and pouring it into Fred’s limp mouth.

You sank onto the floor beside Fred, resting your back against the wall. Pomfrey looked at you like a mother staring at a lost child. You finally met her gaze, brows knit together.

“How’s your kid?” she asked.

Your eyes flitted to Fred; he was still asleep. “He’s good. He’s safe. Staying with a muggle neighbor at her flat for the time being.”

“He?”

“Yeah, Daniel— Danny. He hates when I call him Daniel.”

A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of your lips. You reached into your pocket, pulling out a wallet-sized, moving photo of you and your son. He was a small boy with fiery ginger hair and loads of freckles covering his face. You spun him around before shrugging him onto your back, him hiding his laughter into your hair.

Pomfrey snorted. She glanced between the photo in her delicate hands, the sleeping boy beside you, and your sunken eyes. “He takes after his father.”

You pocketed the photo, scoffing. “He doesn’t need to know that.”

“Mr. Weasley or Danny?”

“Both.”

Pomfrey shook her head but not truly disapproving of you. You avoided her stare and your eyes happened to get caught on a person waving, causing Pomfrey to turn around as well. She nodded, understanding that they were beckoning her. “Would you stay here with him? I need to care for some others.”

“Won’t be a problem.”

She nodded a quick thanks before scurrying off to the other side of the Great Hall. 

And then you were alone with Fred.

Your eyes roved over his body, mentally taking pictures of how he changed. No matter how hard you tried, the images of Fred the night before he left were seared in your mind. He looked different, like he’d seen things he never intended to. His eyes had a slight depth to them and his skin coarse with dirt.

You didn’t really mean to, but your heart has a funny way of dictating things. You reached your hand out, linking your pinky with his. As soon as you touched, you felt a spark in your chest. No sooner did you touch him than you jumped away.

Your mother might have been right. Problems need to be thrown away because there was no other way that you’d escape them. You needed not to feel such a thing— you were supposed to hate Fred— but a simple touch disproved that.

You spotted every member of the Weasley family at the other end of the hall, their eyes scanning the room for Fred. You looked down at your ex, a sense of sympathy tugging at your heart as you slipped out of the Great Hall unnoticed, leaving Fred to be in the care of people who actually loved him, or at least could admit it.

You needed to burn every memory, every thought, every feeling that was Fred Weasley. Because if you didn’t burn them, he’d be the death of you.

●●

“It’s rare, Danny,” you began, dotting every freckle that lined his arms, “but some people just don’t have dads. They weren’t born with them.”

“But Ethan has a dad and he also only lives with his mum!” 

He yanked his arm away from you, an oncoming tantrum arriving. You sighed, tugging him closer to you and brushing his unruly hair with your fingers.

“But we’re special,” you whispered, “some people don’t have dads because they don’t need them.”

His displaced anger mellowed, his wide, amber eyes staring up at you, full of hope. “So we don’t need a dad?”

“No, we don’t need a dad, so we don’t have one.”

You never thought that you could do it, but you had; you had erased Fred Weasley from your life. It was then you knew that your mother was right: seeing everything you had with him burn into ashes really did make you smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr (@15-dogs) and wattpad (@15dogs)!!


	3. body of years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and his best friend, Ethan, are down with a terrible stomach bug so you decide to visit Diagon Alley to pick up some potions. What you forgot was that Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes seems to lie in the same area.
> 
> tw// children, stomach bug/illness, mention of vomit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cross-posted from tumblr (@15-dogs)

Why were children always sick? One day they were fine, the next they were sobbing, doubled over the toilet, emptying the breakfast that you made them. Danny seemed to have caught a stomach bug at school. You spoke with Sianna, Ethan’s mother and fellow witch, and she claimed that Ethan, too, had gotten ill. You shook your head with disapproval; you just hoped the two best friends didn’t do anything idiotic together that would’ve caused the nightmarish week you were having.

You decided it would be best if you went to pick up some potions for Danny and Ethan. But you couldn’t just leave your boy at home, so you figured that the only person who you’d let watch him in that state was Sianna, whose son was also down with that same bug.

To be honest, you weren’t sure when you showered last. Your hair was greasy and your clothes stained from various medicines that you just happened to run out of. Forfeiting sleep, you decided you had just about enough of muggle remedies. 

You picked Danny up, the poor thing, cradling him against your chest as you Floo’d to Sianna’s house. You stepped out of the fireplace, Danny perking his head up at the new environment. You looked around for Sianna, instead finding Ethan curled up with a blanket on the couch.

“Hey, kiddo,” you cooed, walking up to the boy, “do you know where your mum is?”

Ethan shook his head softly. You nodded sympathetically-- he looked like he had just woken up from a particularly long nap and was quite disoriented. You snatched the now warm towel off his feverish forehead with your free hand, taking awkward steps towards the kitchen around the corner.

“Sia!” you called out. “Sia, are you home?”

You heard a hum from up the stairs and then hurried steps. “Yes, yes! I was just in the bathroom!” Sianna arrived in the kitchen, her eyes softening when she saw Danny’s sleeping form against you. She patted his unruly hair down, frowning. “Little one’s still ill, is he? All he needs is a good night’s sleep, he does.”

“He was up all night,” you explained, rubbing your drooping eyes with the heel of your palm before going to the sink to soak the cloth in cold water. “Do you mind watching him for a bit? I won’t be more than an hour, I just need to go to Diagon Alley to pick up some potions. I’ll get some for Ethan, too, and I’ll pay you-”

“That’s enough of that, now!” Sianna batted her hands limply through the air, dismissing your ridiculous request because, in all honesty, it was ridiculous. You were strapped for cash at the moment and could barely afford what you had at the moment, never mind paying your friend to watch your kid.

Sianna reached for Danny, taking him off your hands and into her open arms. He snuggled up into her, resting his head on her shoulder. “Go on,” she advised, rifling through her pockets to drop a few coins in your hand, “and get yourself a drink while you’re at it.”

You rolled your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. “It is 8 o’clock in the morning, mind you.”

“I never said a  _ drink, _ drink! I meant a coffee!” Sianna shook her head to tease you. “Your mind, always jumping to conclusions.”

“I’ll pick some coffee up for you, too, Sia.” You zipped your sweatshirt up to cover the stains on your shirt from Merlin knows what.

Sianna chuckled quietly. “You’re truly a lifesaver.”

You fought back a smile, chewing the inside of your cheek as you snatched the cool cloth from the sink basin, wringing it out. You kissed Danny on the head before darting into the living room, placing the cloth on Ethan’s head, a kind grin stretching on his lips.

You stepped into the fireplace, taking some powder from the little pot on the mantel as you whispered, “Diagon Alley!”

You appeared in the Leaky Cauldron, trying your best to blend in. To be entirely truthful, you hadn’t been to a wizarding village for quite some time. You had always been nervous to go to Diagon Alley, especially since Fred’s shop was there. You shook your head to release the anxieties that consumed your mind, remembering that Fred no longer played a part in your life; you had forgotten him in your past.

That reminded you of the time that you figured out how to install a television and a VHS player at the Burrow. Fred insisted that he had never seen a muggle movie, so you brought your tape collection over for him to pick from. He chose  _ The Breakfast Club _ and, Merlin, that boy would not stop singing that song over and over again.

_ “Don’t you,” he sang, horribly offkey as he thrusted a finger at you, “forget about me!” _

_ “Fred!” you teasingly warned. “You’re going to wake the whole house up, you git!” _

_ But he continued to sing. “Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t!” He tugged you up from where you sat on the cozy couch, pulling you flush against his chest. Your head tipped back with quiet laughter. “Don’t you forget about me!” _

_ You silenced his terrible singing with a chaste kiss to his lips. “I’m gonna forget about you.” _

_ His hands drifted lower so that they rested against the small of your back. “Is that so?” _

_ You nodded, biting your bottom lip. _

_ “Well, let’s make sure you don’t.” _

You snapped out of your daydream, suddenly feeling quite worried. Perhaps being back in Diagon Alley was too much for you, perhaps you needed to leave. But you remembered why you were there in the first place: for Danny and Ethan. You couldn’t just leave because you were scared of running into your ex, that was stupid. So you mustered your last bits of strength and powered on towards the potions shop.

The uneven cobblestone made your tired legs hurt even more. They began to hurt so much to the point where you began to debate the practicalities of levitating yourself down the pathway but soon realized you were unable to do so. You decided it might be best for you to look around Diagon Alley rather than keeping your eyes trained on the object of your pain.

As you scoured the area, your gaze landed on a small bookstore. Against your will, your feet slowed to a stop at the sight. There was a tugging in your body to walk towards it but your brain screamed for you to stop. Next thing you knew, you were inside the store.

_ “A joke shop, Freddie? Are you being serious?” _

_ The corner of Fred’s lips twitched into a smirk as his mouth opened to tease you. Upon seeing your solemn expression, he froze. “Yeah, I’m being serious.” _

_ You crossed your arms and walked up to him, leaning against the shelves of books. Fred met you halfway, tugging you closer by wrapping his arm around your waist. You rested your head against his chest, frowning. _

_ “So are you...leaving, or something?” Your voice was no more than a whisper, there was nothing more that you could muster. _

_ With your ear pressed against him, you heard Fred’s heart beat faster in his chest. “What?” he chuckled. “No. No, of course not.” _

_ You pulled away from Fred to look at him in his amber eyes, full of hope. “You’re not leaving?” _

_ “Never, love.” Your boyfriend planted a sweet kiss to the top of your head. _

_ “I just...I just assumed, and-...and-” you rambled anxiously until Fred tipped your head up, locking your lips in a bruising kiss. You melted under his touch, your fears dissipating by the second. _

_ “I promise you,” he murmured against your lips, “that I will never leave you.” _

Liar.

You bolted out of the store, suddenly feeling suffocated by the atmosphere. You ran as fast as you could, keeping your head down as you felt out the way to the potions store. You chanced a look up only to spot “Borde and Rucker Potions” in large gold letters plastered onto a wooden storefront. 

You slipped in the door, resting your back against it, your chest rising and falling with great haste. Your eyes glazed over as you attempted to steady your breathing. You completely forgot where you were, even when an attendant approached you.

“Can I help you, miss?” he asked, causing you to jump.

Panicked, you scanned the store only to notice a few patrons glancing at you out of the corner of their eyes. Your ears reddened as you nodded, muttering a quick, “Yeah, er, yes.”

“Brilliant. How may I help you?”

You pulled off the door and smoothed out the sweatpants you wore. “I’m looking for a potion for my son and his friend. They both came down with something awful; some stomach bug they caught at school.”

The man nodded wistfully, beckoning you to follow. He went to the shelves around the back of the register to pull out four small boxes, all identical in shape and size. He slid them across the counter with a firm, “3 galleons and 3 sickles.”

You nodded, chewing the inside of your lip as you reached into your pocket, hoping you had the money on you to pay for it. Fortunately, you did, snatching the items once you paid and scooted out the door.

You were nearly done with your errands when you passed a small coffee shop-- the newest addition to Diagon Alley. You had promised Sianna a coffee and you weren’t going home without it; both of you were tired out of your minds from taking care of your boys.

But, Merlin, was that a bad decision.

You ordered your coffee and stood to the side, awaiting your order when you spotted something out of the corner of your eye. Your heart pounded in your chest as you slowly turned to see Fred sitting at a table in the corner, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, head rested in his hand as he looked over something that seemed to be a budget report. You could barely see the wooden table beneath all the papers that he had scattered around it. You sucked in a sharp breath, turning your head away from him.

But it was too late, you were thrown back in the past.

What you thought was dead began to haunt you, every memory of your relationship running tirelessly in your mind. Your mouth went dry and you felt sick bubble up in your throat. You had to leave.

It’s all you were, those memories. You were a body of years that you hoped to leave in the past, dead like it should’ve been. They were a pile of bones that you accidentally dusted off. You were just a child then, you didn’t know what to do. But you were an adult now, you had priorities. And those priorities had nothing to do with Fred Weasley.

Tears pricked your eyes as you bolted out of the shop, hoping to Merlin that no one saw you. But then again, you weren’t so lucky. As you ran into the streets, leaving your drinks and dignity behind, a familiar set of amber eyes locked on your back, feeling that same sensation inside of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr (@15-dogs) and wattpad (@15dogs)!!

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr (@15-dogs) and wattpad (@15dogs)!!


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